Electricity, gas, water, waste and internet in Italy

The biggest companies are Enel, Eni Plenitude, A2A, Hera, Edison and Iren, and there are smaller ones.

• You choose between a fixed price tariff (prezzo fisso) for a year or two that protects you from fluctuation, and a variable tariff (prezzo variabile) that follows the wholesale market (PUN for electricity and PSV for gas).
• Compare offers through the official tool Portale Offerte of the energy regulator ARERA, and note fixed fees, minimum duration and cancellation costs.
• To contract you need the codice fiscale, the flat's address, the delivery point number POD for electricity and PDR for gas on a previous bill, and an IBAN.
• Do not sign with salespeople who visit your door or phone you without comparing, since contracts by phone may be cancelled within fourteen days.

When moving transfer the subscription to your name (voltura) or create a new subscription (subentro or nuovo allaccio), and record the meter readings on takeover and send them to the company (autolettura).

• Bills (bollette) are monthly or bimonthly, and are usually paid by direct debit (domiciliazione), and include consumption, fixed fees, system charges and taxes.
• Read them and check the reading is correct, and report any error.
• For an estimated bill (stima) you pay an amount then adjust it at the actual reading.
• If you do not make the transfer the subscription remains in the previous tenant's name and you may be pursued for his debts.
• And on the electricity bill the television licence fee (canone RAI) is added for households with a television set, an annual amount spread over months, and exemption can be requested with a declaration of non-possession.

Water is supplied through local companies (Acea, Hera, Acquedotto Pugliese and others), and the bill is calculated by consumption with fixed and sewerage fees, and may be included with building expenses in old buildings with a single meter.

• Water is safe to drink from the tap in most cities.
• Natural gas is in most cities, and cylinders (bombole) in other places.
• Gas appliances require periodic boiler maintenance (manutenzione caldaia) by law every year or two with a certificate, which is often the tenant's responsibility under the contract.
• The waste tax (TARI) is imposed by the comune on the occupant of the dwelling by the flat's area and the number of people, so register with the municipal tax office within a deadline.
• And waste is strictly separated into containers (differenziata): paper, plastic, metals, glass, organic and residual, with set collection times.

The best-known internet and phone providers are TIM, Vodafone, Fastweb, WindTre, Iliad and Poste Mobile, and packages range between fifteen and forty euros a month for fibre.

• Read the terms of the commitment period and early cancellation penalty, and check fibre coverage.
• The consumer has the right to number portability (portabilità) between providers.
• For low-income households the bonus sociali allow an automatic discount on electricity, gas and water bills by the ISEE indicator and household size, and are often granted automatically if you have submitted a valid ISEE declaration.
• Ask a CAF or your comune about the ISEE request.
• Home insurance is optional for the tenant but useful to cover liability and contents.
• And when unable to pay contact the company at once and ask to spread the bill in instalments.

To lower the bill use high-consumption appliances (the washing machine) at low-price times (band F3 at night and weekends) if you have a multi-band tariff, lower heating by a degree or two, use LED bulbs, switch off devices instead of standby, and improve insulation with thick curtains.

• Review the contracted power (kW) if it is higher than you need.
• For central heating ask about operating hours and cost-allocation meters.
• And in buildings shared expenses (condominio) are divided by an ownership table, and the bill reaches you from the building administrator, and annual meetings are held.
• Keep all bills, since they are required as proof of address in some procedures, and compare offers once a year.

What is a voltura?